Scarcity
by LittleMiss2035
Summary: A darker retelling of Beauty and the Beast A/N: Rated T for light language and gore. !Please read and review thanks!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The story Beauty and the Beast does not belong to me but this retelling does along with the characters in it.

A/N: If you happen to stumble upon this story thanks so much for stumbling jk haha and a huge thank you for those of you who wish to give my story a chance .

Also if you review...you get a virtual hug and a delicious doughnut ^-^ Anyways, please read and review thank you!

Sincerely, Little Miss

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**Chapter One:**

"Aveline don't pick at your food," scolded Josephine, "...Eat it, it took Ellena a long time to prepare for this meal,"

Aveline looked down at her tomato stew and small slice of bread that lay before her. Black speckles hovered and floated above the stew like shipwrecked sailors in the middle of a red sea. Holding back her sigh she mixed in the black speckles and thin pieces of meat with her wooden spoon.

"Did I add too much pepper?" asked Ellena concerningly.

"It's alright," Aveline smiled looking up from her small bowl, "T-the amount of pepper is just fine,"

With a sigh Josephine stretched her arm out across the table,

"If you don't like it you don't have to eat it. I can just toss it back into the pot -"

"N-no really it's alright," Aveline smiled weakly, taking a small sip from her spoon.

"No I think it best I put it back in the pot. Besides, there will be more stew for father when he arrives from work and I'm sure he'll be much hungrier than you Aveline,"

Hearing this Aveline swallowed her anger as she slid the bowl to Josephine. She was hungry! Perhaps, even more hungry than anyone else here who lived in this house. For months all they ate was tomato stew, bread and watery meat stew. Morning, afternoon and night. And there was very little to go around. She knew her father worked very hard for his three daughters but was there nothing _she_ could do to help her family's situation?She would beg her father on multiple occasions to go out and find work but he always refused. Repeatedly saying she didn't have enough experience for the workforce that perhaps some business man would take advantage of her, not to mention that the city would be far too dangerous for his youngest daughter to go wandering in search of work. Of course he'd let Ellena or Josephine go into the city since they were older but when the search seemed hopeless, he'd always change his mind and make them stop.

"Are we going to live this way for the rest of our lives?" Aveline asked quietly looking down at the table.

With a frown Josephine sat up taking Avelines bowl.

"Selfish!" She hissed as she stormed out of the dining room into the kitchen.

"I'm not selfish just hungry!" snapped Aveline under her breath, as she scratched at the table with one finger nail.

Ellena bit her lip looking at her youngest sister as she sat hunched across the table from her. A pathetic sight. Aveline wasn't the only one that wanted things to change. Ellena also wanted a better life-but there was nothing she could do! She and Josephine searched for work-high and low...but who would take in two women in with a terrible family reputation?

"Aveline, Why don't you go upstairs huh?" she said, "You don't have to sit here and wait for father with us-besides it'll be awhile before he gets here, you know how far the city is,"

Aveline nodded, looking at her sister. Ellena was so beautiful, and the thought of someone like her living a life such as this...Ellena didn't deserve this life-no..her family didn't deserve such a life! Everything her family had was less then what it should have been. The coals in the fire needed to be double it's size, the blankets to be made out of thick quilted silk, the food to be enough to feed one family-hell for two whole families! The house, to be large enough for an upper middle class family to live in! That's the life they deserved!

Standing up Aveline scooted out of her chair and slid it back into place.

"I'm heading off to bed," she said.

"So early?" Ellena asked.

Aveline nodded.

"I'll see you in the morning," She said with a weak smile, walking over to Ellena and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Alright, goodnight Aveline," Ellena said, kissing her sister on the cheek as well, "Joesphine! Aveline's going to bed-"

"Goodnight!" Joesphine called back, irration in her voice.

"Goodnight..."Aveline responded.

With her stomach burning with hunger Aveline walked up the rickety wooden stairs up to her room to sleep and to let her dreams help her forget about a growling stomach.

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A/N: Alright that was my first chapter hope you guys enjoyed it.

Sincerely, Little Miss

P.S. psssst don't forget to review! ^_~ haha


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The story Beauty and the Beast does not belong to me but this retelling does along with the characters in it.

A/N: Thank you 'Converse r life' , 'Crystallynn' and 'MsGia91' for reviewing ^-^ It really means a lot to me to know that there's someone out there reading my story. And to 'Converse r life'-since you're my first reviewer you shall be rewarded a virtual pet zombie as you asked, which I must agree is much cooler than a doughnut. You can have your zombie go fetch you a box of doughnuts haha jk Again thank you girls so much for reviewing! and please enjoy this chapter.

Sincerely, Little Miss

P.S. Please read and review ^-^

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**Chapter Two: **

SCRAATCH-SCRITCHSHHH-SCRATCHH

"Father please let us try once more-we'll find us a job this time I promise!"

"No and once again NO!"

"Father please listen to Ellena! Be reasonable!" Josephine's voice pleaded from the open window above Adeline's head.

"I am reasonable!"

SCRITCHSHH-H-H-H... Aveline gripped the broomstick handle tightly as she slowed her pace, sweeping the wooden steps, back... and forth, ever so slowly. Her ears straining to hear more of her families conversation.

"Are you expecting me to let my two vulnerable daughters out into the city- "

"I am not vulnerable! Neither is Josephine!" Ellena shouted,

" We're old enough to be helping this family father. Why can't you understand this?"

A deadly silence soon swept through the house and out the back door where Aveline stood. Her broom held above the steps, just a few inches...frozen. Aveline swallowed, cold saliva traveling down her throat. Silence was not a good thing. Aveline looked up at the window that hovered beside her, her heart beating against her ribcage like a moth caught in a small cage.

Licking her dried, cracked lips she strained her ears to hear anyone, anything! Suddenly she heard footsteps fade away from the kitchen above her head.

"Oh father, please don't go!" Ellenas faded voice cried out.

More footsteps followed after. Aveline strained her ears even more to hear what was going on. She did hear muffled shouting...but what were they saying!

SLAM!

Aveline jumped a little as she heard the door slam unmercifully, instinctively she set the broom aside, leaning it up against the house. Quietly she walked up the steps and cracked the door open, peeking in. Far across the kitchen and dining room she saw Ellena by the front door her hand covering her face , shoulders shaking. Beside her Josephine stood, timidly standing, not knowing how to handle her distressed sister. Feeling her heart crunch up like a dried olive Aveline closed the door and slowly collapsed, sitting upon the wooden steps.

She heaved a shaky sigh, grasping the broom tightly in her pale hands holding it to her chest. Her emotions swirled within her as she looked out at the dried garden that stood a few feet away from her and her hands clenched the wooden handle even tighter, feeling splinters of wood stab into her sweaty palms .

Oh how she wanted to snap this broom in two! Oh how she wanted to burn the shriveled, decaying garden that stood in front of her! Oh how she wanted.. With a cry of anguish and frustration Aveline brutally stood and chucked the broom towards the withered garden. Feeling tears begin to twinge at the corner of her eyes and nose drool slowly creep downwards, she quickly sniffed and wiped away the salt water that seeped out of her eyes, her lips now crumpling up like a prune .

Feeling her shoulders shake she quickly got up, feeling the urge to be...she wanted-she wanted to be held. Afraid that her father had already had left she quickly ran down the steps and sprinted around the small house. Breathing heavily she soon spotted her father riding his horse down the trail-he wasn't that far!

"Father!" She cried out, "Father!"

Her father looked back seeing his smallest and youngest daughter sprinting after him like a small helpless child. Quickly he pulled on the reins slowing down abruptly. As he hopped off his horse Aveline, like a cannon ball, ran towards him, flinging her arms around his waist. With strong arms her father wrapped his arms around his daughter, stroking away her hair that hung around her round face.

"Please don't be angry father," she pleaded, " They only wanted to help,"

Hearing her father give a weary frustrated sigh, he pulled away a bit to look into his daughters teary, blood shot eyes.

"I know they did… but... it kills me inside to think of my three daughters working so. Just to eat! Just to survive! I'm your father I should be the one to look after you shouldn't I? Well Shouldn't I?" Looking down Aveline nodded her head quickly.

"And your mother..." He continued weakly, "Your mother, wouldn't have wanted to see her daughters living in such a way,"

"Please…" Aveline begged, now looking up at her father, "I know.. you don't want me to go in search of work-I understand-but…won't you give them another chance? Please?"

Her father looked away for a split moment seeing the tall forest loom above them and frowned slightly.

"Pleasepleaseplease…" Aveline urged to herself in a whisper.

Looking down at her he spoke, "One last time," He stated firmly.

"Oh really?..." Aveline breathed, a disbelieving smile slowly appearing on her face.

"You did hear me did you not?" He jested, a weary smile on his face.

"Thank you father," She said, hugging her father tightly.

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Aveline sat at the table taking small sips of her soup watching her two sisters twitter and chatter like happy birds to her father as they ate. Even though the outside was storming and thunder echoed through out the night like lions, inside seemed quite the opposite.

"-Once we have enough money father we were deciding on buying us a sheep!" Josephine said delightfully.

"...a sheep?" Her father asked with concern, "Why a 'sheep' may I ask?"

"Well..." Josephine began "We were hoping on sheering the sheep's wool and using it to make string," Interrupted Ellena.

"String?" Her father frowned.

" To sell it of course,"Josephine said reassuringly .

"We could do that on the side and sell it in the markets" Explained Ellena.

"Keeping a sheep sounds expensive," Her father said as he took a sip of his soup.

"Well, when we finally have work for us we should have enough to take care of it," Josephine said.

"I could work on the garden while they are away," Piped up Aveline.

With all eyes on her now AVeline felt herself shrink.

"I'll work really hard-and once the vegetables have grown we could sell them..."

"Splendid idea Aveline," Ellena smiled pointing her spoon at Aveline, " Don't you think so father?"

Her father looked Aveline and smiled, a twinkle in his weary gray eyes.

"If you work hard, I don't see why you shouldn't," Smiling Aveline looked down at her soup and smiled.

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A/N: Alright readers that was chapter two sorry for it being a bit short ^-^' I just started my classes so it might be awhile till I update but I'll try my best! Again please don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The story Beauty and the Beast does not belong to me but this retelling does along with the characters in it. A/N: Sorry if it took me a century to update-really sorry ^-^' Unfortunately my classes have been piling me up with homework, research papers and everything else that makes us students feel 'joyful' *sarcasm* Anyways here's the next chapter I hope you enjoy!

P.S. Please review won't you? It lets me know who's truly interested in my story and who isn't, plus I would love to hear your thoughts and comments , thanks!

Sincerely, Little Miss

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**Chapter Three: **

The strands of hay poked through the fabric of the mattress scratching at her thin, pale legs as she sat cross legged upon her bed.A small ink bottle & ink pen balanced carefully upon her knee as Aveline looked down at an empty page in her journal. What was there to write? With a small frown creasing upon her brow, she flipped back a couple pages to look back at the previous journal entries and short stories she had written.

_Entry 23 October, 29, 1811 _

_We speak out to be heard, but the louder the vocal volume... the fainter the message that falls on deaf ears. What a great sorrow is this. My voice is faint to others and to write a message within this journal...perhaps even fainter; insignificant._

Aveline's brown eyes looked upon this entry feeling numb. It wasn't even finished it appeared she just stopped writing that entry entirely. Everything at the moment seemed to be insignificant. The money her family scavenged for every minute of every day felt utterly useless. Her family was very poor, that was for certain but surely It wasn't entirely hopeless was it ? Although it felt like all her families hard work was all for nothing, the reality of it was that her family's wealth seemed to be growing ever so slowly. True they weren't middle class but...perhaps within a few years Josephine's job and if Ellena could get a job within the upcoming months, perhaps they could be a third of the way there.

She stretched out her hand towards her pen and grasped it lightly between two dainty fingers, slowly tapping the pen against her chin. What was there to write? She felt that there was something to be written but...it seemed all her entries were quite glum and she wanted to write an entry that was brighter. But reality always sunk in and Aveline couldn't help but realize that if she even attempted to write something hopeful or cheery...the tone would somehow seem hallow.

Frustration clustering within her ribcage like angry wasps she tossed her pen beside her, onto the ripped quilt she sat on , closing her small black journal. Taking hold of the small ink bottle she raised it to close eye level and squinted. Aveline squinted, passing the black stains that clung to glass bottle and peering through the small clear gaps, seeing a blurry smeared image of her room.

Strangely, she could see the similarities between this blurry, inky version of her room and the actual room she was breathing and living within the room she was in. Biting her lip into a small frown, she set the ink bottle upon her knee again, reaching for her pen. She now knew what was to be written. Opening up her journal, she opened the bottle carefully dipping her pen within the bleak substance and wrote.

_Entry 32 December, 17,1811 _

_We aren't earning enough money as much as we hoped for...but that was to be expected. Father is quite angry and frustrated, which is an emotion he wears upon his face often. He's been disappointed that my sisters hopeful plans aren't becoming a reality and even though our lives are improving at a rate of a snails slimy trudge, my father simply doesn't see it. And yet... I know our future will be enough so we can survive- for it's certain we won't go a day without food, though scarce as may be... yet this future doesn't seem to satisfy my father... nor me. This life certainly isn't what father wanted for us. My families life- my life is so scarce.. _

Looking down upon her new entry she slowly closed her journal and set it beside her small round night table beside her bed along with her pen and ink bottle. With a weary sigh she ran her pale bony fingers through her messy, wavy, black hair and laid herself down against her bed staring at her wooden, cracked ceiling. Holding in another sigh she squeezed her light brown eyes shut, pleading over and over again to an unknown entity within inside her head,

_ ' Please help... Please? Please? I'm weary of having nothing! Please help me!' _

With her eyes still shut she felt herself grow dizzy and nauseated and soon a dark, heavy sleep overcame her brain making her waking reality slip away into subconsciousness.

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A/N: Sorry if this chapter was really really short but unfortunately It's getting pretty late and I have some classes tomorrow , But I hope you enjoyed it either way.

P.S. Don't forget to review!


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